Automobile lift



Jan. 12, 1932. E, E, HOLUSTER 1,841,182

AUTOMOBILE LIFT Filed Aprn 5o, 19:51 `2 sheets-sheet 1 CINQ/M1411 2 Sheets-Sheet=- 2 llflllllll 4 gwuentoz wa/ward Jan. l2, 1932. E. E. HoLLlsTER AUTOMOBILE LIFT Filed April so, 1931 Patented Jan. 12, 1932- EDWARD E; HoLLIsTER, or -eUNoYg 'rttinoisgnssenon"To HoLmsTnRAvHiTNI-JYS AUToMoBILn LIFT.

ik ,Application med YAmies,

rIhis invention 'relates to an e ualizino' b lhead, and a. platform or frame structure thereon for supporting a motor car on a vertically rising plungerfor servicing'motor carS, trucks, and buses.

, v 'The"complete lift. The carto be serviced is run over the 'lift "and power 'is then applied to the llift.

This causes it torise and engage with'the yfront and rear axles of the'car.

` The-free Wheel lift is veryjpopularamong tire selling Aconcerns yfor the vreasonthzdell v endl havefound that this difer'ence in clear- .i ance amounts to as 'muchas' 3 to inchesf of the Wheels are free for changingtires Without the use of jacksor other elevating apparatus.'

'lnprae'tically all -moto1, ears the distance Vfromjthe front aXle'tothe floor 1s not the same y as the distance yfromthereer axle to the'floor,

and possibly more in'some cars.

It will be seenfthat' in casefthe head and `car Wlifen the rising l platform are' attached rigidlyto the plunger,

a cer-on which the rear axle isiincheshigher than the front axle' will put an'und-ue load on the front of the lift,v.*l1ich will cause the lift to either bind or to rise with considerable resistance. This is -due to the'A leverage exerted by the Weight of one end of the car through the long lever arm formed by the half-length of platform, tending to tilt plunger in its fixed cylinder. v A

l. have experienced the greatest trouble in lowering the lift. It may descend will then bind and it requires considerabler power to. cause it to go on down so thatthe i car may be moved off.

lAn effort has been made to avoid the de'- fects 'of the lift just mentioned by placing a plunger under each end of the platformthat supports the car axles. Besides being more expensive, this arrangement is uncertain in its action on account of the diiiiculty of syn- Chronizing the movements ofthe two plungers. Y Being directly under the axles,A the plungers interfere with the movements of the Work?, men, since much ofthe'doivinggear mechanismis in the vicinity of the axles,

vMy improvement provides for` en equalizrean yTo. t :his eind 'I mount the platform lift is .known as afree-Wheel i v c c A the platform' onthe plunger;=`

dOttedlineS, and the properly until the rear Wheels meet the floor. f The lift ing `movement' 'of the'tends'V of the platform sufficient to permitjthelift to descend with a praeticallyjjunrform load at' both frontend uctureii'ponfthe plunger in such amanner as to allow ilimitedtiltingj'movement vof Y My invention comprises a plunger head so 'shaped the side bars of the platform may `einlncecoit and rocknpan'd `d ovnfat the endsA whilelthe narsrest, on thehead.

My Avention further consists in the combinetio'n's"v idf details of construction'hereinafteirjdesc, ed andclaimed.V` l

"nf` the aceompenying drawings", Fig`. l,is ai topplan c ."jiexv ormy invention; Fi 2 1s a side'elevation thereof, the platrm or supporting*structure being shown in ally horizontal position; 1 a sideeleifn nlofjthe saine', the oim lseing tilted by L saison of the resiste dueY to the"\veiglit ofthe frontend lof the Vplatform "encounters the front' axle; i,

is'a-planof the' centralr portion ofthe lift von en'onl'arged scale;

Fig. 5 is a section'on the line 5-5,`I"ig.4; `Fig. 6 is af side View; of; the plungerhead, the s idefbars ofthe platform being shoWn'in Fig. Z- is a section `on theline 7+?, Fig.' 6. Lilie charactefs denote lilie lpoints *i'n all My inventionconsists'broadly of a platform or supporting structurel() mounted'for a: slight rocking movement upon the Evhead 12 ,ofthe'can While permitting the c "iir'to run the car. The'sidebars A13 Vare' lieldtogether'f able clearance so that kthe side bars may rock up and down without binding on the head. AtV one end of the` supporting structure or platform is a cradle 16 for contact with the rear axle, and at the front end are supports 17 for the front axle.

The plunger 11 slides in a suitable cylinder which may be completely or partially buried in the ground. Compressed vair for lifting the plunger is admitted through thel pipes 18 controlled by the valve 19. The head 12 lcon-V sists of a collar 2O rigidly mounted upon the upper end of the plunger and a top 21 having an upper plane surface. Suitably spaced from the collar are two side bars or flanges 22. These bars are connected to the collar 20 by webs 23, 24. The two sides of the top 21 f are recessed asshown at in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

.The recesses extend completely across the heard and the bottoms of the recesses form bearing surfaces for the upper flanges ofthe p side bars 13. These bearing surfaces slope outwardlyv and laterally as shown in Fig. 5. They also slope downward and longitudinally with respect to the side bars as shown in Fig. 6, forming very flat obtuse angles with each other so that the side bar flanges normally rest uponthe apices of the angles and may fao rock in either direction when tilted by the weight of the forward end of a'car. Flanges Y 22 have tapering'lower edges also as shown in Fig. 6. Vhen the parts are assembled, the head is embraced by the inner flanges and the inner sides of the webs of the side bars. Longitudinal movement of the supporting structure or platform on the head is prevented by the spacers 14. By this arrangement the platform is securely mounted upon the head l and theconstruction of thehead permits limited rocking movement of the platform.

When the end of the platform has been low- `opening the pipes 18 to the atmosphere and permitting the air to escape. y These movements take place without bindin or sticking at any point. When the, rear W eel touches the floor, the lift continues to descend freely, and when sufiiciently lowered it is disengaged from the front axle. The lift then descends t0 itl lowermost position and the car is driven o My invention is not limited to the details of construction'herein disclosed, equivalent devices being included within the scope of my invention. Y

The term rocker bearing includes any formof bearing or pivotal connection that permits the platform to swing in the manner described.

VWhat I claim is:

VThe combination Ywith an elongated structure for lifting motor vehicles through contact with their axles, said structure having in- Vgwardly channeled portions near its'middle, of

plunger having a head received in the channels, the upper and lower surfaces of saidy head being tapered to permit limited rocking Y movementof the structure.

n In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. f

EDWARD E. HOLLISTER.

l ered approximately 3 or 4 inches, the upper Y flanges 13 rest upon the bottom walls of recesses 25 at one side'of thecenter of the head and the platform is held against further tilting yby vthe engagement of the lower flanges against the inclined lower edges of the flanges 22 on the other side of the axis of the head.

Theopeiatin of my improved lift is as Y follows: f,

Normally the plunger 1s 1n its lowerrnost position with the platformjor supporting structure balancedv on'the apices of the in- Y clined surfaces at the side vedges of the head. Whenit is desiredV to elevate a car for inspection., repairs, or for changing tires or wheels,

` the car is driven overtlie'lift until its front axle is over the supports 17 and the rea-r axle is above the cradle 16. The plunger 1s now elevated, lifting the structure until the supports 17 engage thefront axle. Continued Y movement of the lift causes the platform to tilt on the'head 12 without'raising the front Y endv ofthe Scar,- until the cradle 16 engages the'V rear axle." Both ends of the platform now.,Y 

